Rolling Hills youth to take part in talent show, all-star basketball game

LOWER POTTSGROVE — What started as an attempt to a “small and generic” talent show for the children of Rolling Hills Apartments has evolved into a big event which will include many talented youngsters and an “all-stars vs. legends” basketball game.

“We came together and thought let’s do a talent show,” said Lori Verdone, of the Rolling Hills tenant group. “Then one guy thought, ‘Can we do a basketball game, too?’”

Since then, things have really taken off.

Current and former players will face off in a Pottstown vs. Pottsgrove all-stars and legends basketball game Jan. 26 at the Coventry Christian School’s event center.

Pottstown stars like Howard Brown and Trenton Davidheiser are scheduled to come back to play, Verdone said.

Verdone said the school came forward and volunteered its center when officials found out what the Rolling Hills tenant group wanted to do.

Doors will open at 4 p.m.At 4:30 p.m., everything will kick off, beginning with the first five of 10 that will perform in the talent show.

“Most of them are singing,” Verdone said. “A majority of the kids are around the age of 10, which is great. We have a teenage girl who plays the acoustic guitar and she wrote her own song.”

Verdone said those in the talent competition were encouraged to use songs with positive messages.

The basketball game will begin around 5 p.m.

At halftime, Verdone said there is entertainment from Rolling Hills’ teenagers lined up.

“The teenage kids are doing inspirational music, like raps and dances,” she said.

After the basketball game, the remaining contestants in the talent show will perform.

Among the judges of the talent show are Marc Sherfield, a former contestant on American Idol and the star of several local theater shows, David Charles, known as Dave Vegas, a local hip- hop artist, and Lauren English, the case worker at Rolling Hills.

Verdone said a group of teenage girls from the non-profit Hearts of Harmony has been instrumental in helping get the talent show performers ready.

Admission to the event is a donation of non-perishable food items.

“I’m trying to teach the kids how to give back and volunteer,” Verdone said. “What we did was we let them pick what charity they wanted to help.”

As such, the event will benefit the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities’ outreach group.

The Rolling Hills tenant group hopes to continue with more events like this to give Rolling Hills kids an outlet.

“We want to do more,” Verdone said. “We want to do a lot with these kids.”